Solo travel: Top 9 remote destinations to discover alone in 2016

Still trying to unwind from the tight togetherness of the holiday season? In need of some alone time where your family can’t reach you? Perhaps a trip to a far-flung destination, away from the hustle and bustle that tends to encompass the festive season and New Year is just what you need.

Multi-modal travel search company Rome2Rio have dug far and wide to uncover the top 9 ‘remote’ locations,all of which are at least five hours from the closest major airport, preventing any surprise pop-ins by relatives. Time sans family will never feel so good – and no postcards required.

1. Uyuni, Bolivia

Distance from major airport: 538 kilometres

This small, isolated town is the gateway to the famed salt flats of Bolivia. Each week, hundreds of tourists brave the cold weather to commence their tours of the stunning natural wonder. The town also boasts a train cemetery and a central market but very few other attractions, making it the perfect place to disappear from crowds.

2. Jaisalmer, India

Distance from major airport: 337 kilometres

With no airport servicing this city and only a few daily trains or buses, you can bask in solo serenity here. Unwind from the chaos by wandering around the World Heritage listed yellow sandstone architecture. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, stay for the Desert Festival, an annual cultural celebration that makes the desert come alive with colour, enthusiasm and happiness. The festival takes place every February, three days prior to the full moon.

3. Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

Distance from major airport: 374 kilometres

This 12 kilometre long glacier located on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island is part of the World Heritage listed site Te Wahipounamu. Visiting the glacier requires a helicopter ride in and two hours of guided walking. Definitely no interruptions here!

4. Sapa, Vietnam

Distance from major airport: 321 kilometres

Avoid nagging family members and commune with nature in the rolling landscape of Sapa, which is home to several ethnic minority groups who gather in the market town to trade. Getting there requires an overnight train from Hanoi. Explore the remote territory on foot from town by taking part in a guided hike.

5. Monemvasia, Greece

Distance from major airport: 316 kilometres

Monemvasia, meaning “single entrance”, is a tiny town located off the east coast of Greece. The island separated from the mainland during an ancient earthquake and now just a single bridge keeps the two connected. Soak in some local history at many of the Byzantine-era buildings, which were an important trade and maritime centre in the town’s past.

6. Jasper, Canada

Distance from major airport: 429 kilometres

Skip stones while you skip Sunday Roast in the pristine lakes that surround Jasper, a remote town in the Canadian Rockies. Not only is Jasper close to seven major lakes and numerous smaller lakes, it is also home to the Jasper Skytram, which takes visitors to the nearby ski fields.

7. Portree, Scotland

Distance from major airport: 333 kilometres

Family members who dislike buses are unlikely to follow you to this off-the-beaten-track location, as that is the only way you can get in. Located in Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, the town is most famous for being the last meeting place of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the leader of the Jacobite insurrection, and his rescuer, Flora MacDonald.

8. Baguio, Philippines

Distance from major airport: 272 kilometres

Located 1,540 metres (5,050ft) above sea level in the north of the Philippines is Bagiuo, one of the country’s key industrial centres, making it an easy place to get lost in rather than losing it over family politics. Visit the city centre to bask in the cooler mountain temperatures, historical World War 2 sites and the Victorian architecture.

9. Sighișoara, Romania

Distance from major airport: 269 kilometres

Avoid going medieval on your little brother and get medieval in Romania instead. Famously known as the home of Vlad III the Impaler, who was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the town in one of the last inhabited walled cities in Europe and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.